OSCE Mission kicks off campaign to boost public participation in municipal budget planning

PRISHTINЁ/PRIŠTINA, 1 September 2011 – The OSCE Mission in Kosovo launched today a public information campaign to help municipalities increase public participation in the 2012 municipal budget planning process.

The campaign dubbed “Be in charge” urges the public to take an active part in public budget hearings and help set municipal priorities. The one-month initiative includes television and radio spots in the Albanian, Serbian and Turkish languages.

“Annual municipal budget planning is one of the most important decision-making processes at the local level, and we urge people to participate,” said the Director of the OSCE Mission’s Democratization Department, Wilma Theuws. “By taking part in this process the public can influence where and how limited financial resources are utilized and also follow up on the implementation of agreed projects and initiatives.”

The legislation in Kosovo obliges municipal assemblies to reach out to the public and ensure that a consultative process on budget planning takes place during the month of September. In the past, the OSCE Mission’s network of over 30 OSCE field teams has observed that the level of public participation in decision-making processes was limited.

To help remedy the situation, the OSCE Mission will also launch an award for municipalities that are active and effective in involving the public in their 2012 budget planning.

“We urge the municipal assemblies to reach out to the public and encourage them to participate in the public budget hearings and in defining budget priorities. This is their obligation and by fulfilling it municipalities can increase their transparency and accountability, which will also lead to improvements in the quality of their services,” added Theuws.

The Mission’s award scheme will give the five best performing municipalities a chance to take part in a study trip to Germany this coming November to further their knowledge of public participation in local decision making and best European practices.

The information campaign and prize are part of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s long-term commitment to helping to develop local capacities and increase municipal transparency, accountability and public participation at the local level in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government.